This weekend, hundreds if not thousands are expected to line up outside the Barnes and Noble at Valley View Mall to have their Sarah Palin memoir autographed by the former Alaska governor.

As many of you know, I am a BIG political junkie and get a kick out of events like this, no matter the politician or the party they hail from.

However, I’m not sure I would be willing to voluntarily brave frigid temperatures and rain to go to one of these events. I have certainly lived through worse for work, but not for fun.

Last year’s presidential campaign saw some of the worse weather we’ve experienced since I’ve been here. And, evidently Mother Nature doesn’t favor one party over the other. Hillary Clinton’s February rally at Patrick Henry High School was called off thanks to wind gusts that made landing at Roanoke Regional Airport unsafe. That was a FRIGID day where the wind cut through you.

And, it was topped by Sarah Palin’s last minute stop in Roanoke days before the November election. 14,000 people sat in Salem Stadium for hours waiting on Palin. I was one of them, covering the event for WSLS. I can say I hadn’t been that cold in a long time.

For me, is there a politician worth that kind of devotion? I’m not sure. Perhaps I would have done it years ago to witness a Ronald Reagan event live. It would have been fascinating to watch the great communicator in action. If I could go back further in time, I’d love to see Churchill, Roosevelt or even Kennedy in action.

Living political figures seem more mortal to me. I’d probably still do it for a Nelson Mandela event. But, that’s probably it. Frankly, if the weather is going to be unbearable, I’d rather be on the sofa watching the event on television.

But, to all of you going out to the Palin event… bundle up, bring a poncho, and enjoy.